Saudi Arabia intercepts drone over Riyadh amid rising Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 18th of September, covering the latest developments you need to know.
1. Around 300 media to attend Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Around 300 local and international journalists, including representatives from Netflix, Reuters, AFP and Sky Sports, will cover the 2025 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the newly opened Media Centre in Baku. Equipped with modern facilities and FIA-compliant infrastructure, the centre will support global coverage of the race taking place from 19 to 21 September.
2. Xi and Trump expected to attend APEC summit in South Korea
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected at the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on 31 October–1 November. The meeting, focused on easing regional tensions, comes as Seoul and Washington pursue a trade deal involving $350 billion in South Korean investment and tariff cuts.
3. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan sign mutual defence pact
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a mutual defence pact, vowing that any attack on one will be treated as an attack on both. Officials said the agreement strengthens their decades-long security partnership and boosts regional stability through closer military coordination.
4. Armenia and China discuss Baku-Yerevan relations
Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan and Vice Chairperson of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Su Hui, held talks in Yerevan on the normalisation of relations with Azerbaijan.
The discussions also focused on political dialogue and inter-parliamentary cooperation between Armenia and China, with particular emphasis on the reopening of regional transport and communication links.
5. Syria says talks with Israel could yield results 'in coming days'
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said negotiations with Israel on a security pact could yield results soon, stressing the deal must guarantee Syria’s territorial integrity and be overseen by the UN. The talks focus on ending Israeli airstrikes and troop presence in southern Syria, though Israel insists on holding strategic positions like Mount Hermon.
6. TEKNOFEST 2025 opens in İstanbul as Türkiye showcases tech innovation
TEKNOFEST 2025, Türkiye’s largest technology festival, opened in İstanbul with a record 1.1 million participants competing in 64 categories and new platforms like NSosyal and the AI-powered “Küre” Digital Encyclopaedia unveiled. Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar highlighted the role of youth in driving the National Technology Initiative, linking technological progress with moral responsibility and humanitarian concerns such as Gaza.
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
A tenth-grade student was critically injured after a man attacked her with a chainsaw inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The girl suffered severe injuries to her head, neck and back, while a classmate who tried to protect her was also hurt.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
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